1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use of the compounds and compositions containing them. This disclosure relates more particularly to certain carboxamide, sulfonamide and amine compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and to methods of treating and ameliorating disorders and conditions related to the adiponectin pathway, sphingolipid metabolism, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, free radical damage and metabolic inefficiency, among others.
2. Technical Background
The kinase 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is well established as an important sensor and regulator of cellular energy homeostasis. Being a multi-substrate enzyme, AMPK regulates a variety of metabolic processes, such as glucose transport, glycolysis and lipid metabolism. It acts as a sensor of cellular energy homeostasis and is activated in response to certain hormones and muscle contraction as well as to intracellular metabolic stress signals such as exercise, ischemia, hypoxia and nutrient deprivation. Once activated, AMPK switches on catabolic pathways (such as fatty acid oxidation and glycolysis) and switches off ATP-consuming pathways (such as lipogenesis). Activation of the AMPK pathway improves insulin sensitivity by directly stimulating glucose uptake in adipocytes and muscle and by increasing fatty acid oxidation in liver and muscle, resulting in reduced circulating fatty acid levels and reduced intracellular triglyceride contents. Moreover, activation of the AMPK pathway decreases glycogen concentration by reducing the activity of glycogen synthase. Activation of the AMPK pathway also plays a protective role against inflammation and atherosclerosis. It suppresses the expression of adhesion molecules in vascular endothelial cells and cytokine production from macrophages, thus inhibiting the inflammatory processes that occur during the early phases of atherosclerosis. What is needed are compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of using them to treat disease states wherein AMPK activation is beneficial, such as type II diabetes, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.